Apparatus for safely sending mail bags, luggage, and similar orjects from aerial crafts to the ground



April 24. 1928.

M. KUNZER APPARATUS FOR SAFELY SENDING MAIL BAGS, LUGGAGE, AND SIMILAR OBJECTS'FROM AERIAL CRAFTS TO THE GROUND Filed Dec. 11, 1925 Fig.3.

777- Kiinzer entor B ,1 %M w Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARGEI. KI'J'NZEB, or LA CHAUX-DE-IONDS, SWITZERLAND, nssr'onon :ro socmrn ANONYME roun. LEXPLOI'IATION nus BREVETS xfiNzEn, or BALE, swrrznn- LAND.

APPARATUS FOR SAFELY SENDING MAIL BAGS, LUGGAGE, 'AND SIMILAR OBJECTS FROM AERIAL CRAFTS TO THE GROUND.

Application flled lleeember I1, 1925, Serial No. 74,882, and in Switzerland July 21, 1925.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for safely sending mail bags, luggage and similar objects from aerial crafts to the ground. 7

It is the primary aim and object of the present invention to provide a device of the above character which is adapted to be attached to an aerocraft and operated at a predetermined time for ensuring of an effective releasing of the object.

This apparatus comprises briefly a casing with means for attaching a charge thereto, a parachute attached to said casing and locking means for containing-said parachute in a folded state, unlocking means and means facilitating the unfolding, of the parachute and operative means for determining the moment of unlocking and unfolding.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of improved arrangement.

gig. 2 a plan with the top plate removed, an

Fig. 3 a perspective. view.

-Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now, more particularly, to the accompanying drawings there is provided a parachute 25 which is kept fast on the top of a metal casing 40 by \mea-ns of a strap 46. A clockwork is arranged within the casing so as to loosen the parachute after a certain time. The top of the apparatus is covered by a perforated plate 41 and, slots 43 are provided within the side walls 42 and guide planes 44 all arranged so as to constitute with the holes 45 a passage way for an air draught across the casing.

A strap 46 is girded over the folded parachute on top of the perforated plate 41 and is fixed atone end to a side wall of the casing 40 while it is attached at the other end to a staple bolt 47 having an eye which is stuck through an opening in the opposite wall of the casing 40 and is extended into the inside of the casing where it is kept engaged by means of a hook-like catch 48 hinged to the casing.

This catch is arranged within the hori- K zontal circular path of a finger 52 which extends to the outside of the upper edge of the barrel 51 of a clock work mounted on a plate secured rigidly fast inside of the casing underneath of plate 41. Thus the hook-like catch 48 will be unhooked when the barrel is turning and when the travelling finger meets with said catch. The barrel of the clockwork is mounted by means of a crank 53 and of bevel gears 54. By means not shown nor claimed this barrel may be adjusted in such a way that when the apparatus is to be dropped the finger 52 is at a determined distance from the catch 48. This distance determines the time elapsing between the moment of ejecting the apparatus and of the unfolding of the parachute.

The clockwork is wound up before ejecting the apparatus. The delay after which said clockwork becomes effective depends upon the angle at which the crank 53 is turned, that is upon the bending of the spring. The crank is moved like a hand on a graduation indicating the seconds or the height of fall in yards. A collar 49 at the bottom of the'apparatus is adapted to serve as a hold for suspending the bags or the luggage by means of straps or the like.

The apparatus works the more safely the greater the height is from which it is dropped because with the increasing height of falling also the velocity increases and with it also the air draught entering the slots 43 and adapted to unfold the parachute. If the apparatus is dropped after having adjusted the crank 53 the staple 47 will become unlocked after a certain depth of fall and the parachute be unfolded. This will retard at once the velocity of fall and this to such an extent that the apparatus and with itits load will reach the ground at a safe speed not exceeding a few feet per second.

It is believed in view of the foregoing that a further detailed description of the operation of the invention is entirely unnecessary. Likewise it is believed the advantages of the invention will be fully apparent.

What I claim is:

In'an apparatus for safely dropping objects from aerial crafts to the ground and in combination a casing with means for attaching a load thereto, a folded parachute attached to said casing and arranged on the top plate of the same, locking means for containing said parachute, unlocking means and means for facilitating the unfolding of the parachute said means comprising slots and guide planes provided in the side walls of the casing and arranged so as to form a passage way for the air draught created by the falling apparatus and perforations in the top plate adapted to direct said air draught to the under side of the folded parachute.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MARCEL KUNZER. 

